Operating principle of cell polarity via membrane lipid

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K14465
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Structural biochemistry
• Research Institution: Kawasaki Medical School
• Principal Investigator: Matsuda Junko 川崎医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60363149)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): ONO Koji 川崎医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (00548597)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: スフィンゴ脂質 / セラミド骨格 / 構造多様性 / 細胞極性 / 小腸上皮細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Small intestinal epithelial cells are representative of polar cells. Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) constituting their cell membrane are composed by a unique ceramide structure called phytoceramide, which have a hydroxyl group at C4 position of sphingosine base. To elucidate the physiological role of phytoceramide structure in cell polarity, we have made dihydroceramide: sphinganine C4 - hydroxylase (DES2) knockout (Des 2-KO) mice which lost the phytoceramide structure of GSLs. In this study, we tried to identify the modifier gene that affects the phenotypic severity of Des2-KO mice. The mouse exome analysis was carried out and several candidate genes which present autosomal recessive inheritance were found. Future identification of the modifier gene will reveal the physiological function of phytoceramide structure in cell polarity.

Free Research Field

脂質生化学